Take A Bow
by xTamarax
Summary: [Ficlet] After 'Tough love. EG, of course


Disclaimer: I own no part of Once and Again. Although I wish I owned Shane West.

A/N: Takes place during "Tough Love." It follows the story, but I changed the ending.

Summary: an E/G short set to Madonna's _"Take A Bow."_

Rating: I'm not really sure, but probably PG-13 or R

Feedback: Please!!!!!! I crave it!

Distribution: Take it, but let me know where.

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"Take A Bow"

"I'm nothing," Eli whispered unaware Grace heard what he said.

"No Eli. Your not nothing. You're a lying asshole," Grace said louder than she meant. When she saw the hurt look on Eli's face she felt her heart shatter into a million pieces.

"Excuse me," she said to Mr. Dimitri on the verge of tears. She raced past both him and Eli and out the back door into the cold, night rain leaving Eli feeling like a knife had just been put through his heart. 

Grace stopped and leaned up against the large willow tree in her backyard. The cold rain pelted on her face and stung, but she didn't acknowledge it. All she could feel was her hot tears burning her face and her heart breaking all over and over again every time she thought about him.

It hurt. He had lied to her. He had promised he would be there, but he wasn't. he was just like everyone else. They didn't care she had feelings or that she was capable of being something more than just perfect little Gracie. She thought she had saw something in him. Someone who knew that there was more than meets the eye. He made her believe she was capable of being more. Most of all he gave her a reason to be herself. But it was all a lie. She was in love with Eli, and she thought maybe, just maybe there was a chance he could feel the same way. 

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"God Grace. How could you be so stupid?" she whispered to herself and sank down against the tree while crying her heart out.

Take a bow, the night is over  
This masquerade is getting older  
Light are low, the curtains down  
There's no one here  
[There's no one here, there's no one in the crowd]  
Say your lines but do you feel them  
_Do you mean what you say when there's no one around [no one around]  
Watching you, watching me, one lonely star  
[One lonely star you don't know who you are]_

Grace was lonely. She had friends, but none of them could be the friend she thought she had found in Eli. She felt so alive whenever she was around him. She felt as if anything was possible and he made her believe that. She could confide in him and know he wouldn't tell a soul anything she said to him. 

At first it was just a small crush. Then her feelings became stronger for him. And then came Carla. It had hurt to watch her best friend and her crush together, but she kept all her feelings to herself. She was too scared to tell him anything. But after Carla left they grew even closer and when they almost kissed Grace felt the world stop. She had wanted it for so long, but like everything else she was left disappointed again.

Grace was left thinking her cared, but he obviously didn't. Her crush had turned into love…an unrequited love that would never be returned. There were times when she thought Eli knew how she felt. The way he would look at her with his gorgeous hazel eyes. It was like he could see deep down into her soul and reveal her most intimate thoughts. But she had been wrong. He obviously didn't care, and her heart had broke for the last time.

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I've always been in love with you [always with you]  
I guess you've always known it's true [you know it's true]  
You took my love for granted, why oh why  
The show is over, say good-bye  


Say good-bye [bye bye], say good-bye  
  


Grace had been so preoccupied that she didn't notice the dark figure approach her until it spoke.

"Grace I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you," his husky voice replied with remorse.

"Save it for someone who cares, Eli," she said sternly without bothering to look up. She kept her head down resting on her knees.

"I care! Grace please just hear me out," he pleaded.

Grace slowly stood up careful not to look him in the eyes for fear that she would get lost in them like she always did.

"Why should I? Do you think you deserve it? I sure as hell don't."

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Make them laugh, it comes so easy  
When you get to the part  
Where you're breaking my heart [breaking my heart]  


Eli couldn't argue. She was right. He didn't deserve it. Once again he had been selfish. He had put himself first. He knew how much it had meant to her for him to be there for her. He had to make her listen. He couldn't live without her. Although she didn't know it, she was everything to him. He meant it when he said he was nothing. He was nothing without her.

"You're right I don't deserve it," he replied sadly.

His honesty had surprised her, but it still didn't calm her anger.

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"Do it for me," she said as she repeated what he had said to her the night before.

"Grace-."

"And I did do it. I did it for you, even though you _weren't_ there. How could you Eli? You know how much it meant to me. You LIED to me!! You promised me you would be there and you weren't," she explained as she started to sob again. 

Eli stepped closer to her, but Grace pushed him back. He wanted to touch her. He wanted to take away her pain and it killed him to know that he was responsible for it.

"I never meant to lie to you, or to hurt you. I wanted so badly to be there for you," he said on the verge of tears himself.

"But you weren't. Eli, whose barrette was in your room?" she asked afraid to know the answer even though she feared it deep down because it would only hurt her even more.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just answer the damn question!!"

"A friend's…" he replied quietly.

"And what's her name?" she said trying to fight back her tears

"It doesn't matter what her name is. None of that matters. The only thing I care about is you," he admitted.

"Don't give me that bullshit, Eli! If you really cared about me then…" she stopped herself from saying the rest. If she admitted how she felt then it would show him how vulnerable she was towards him. And she needed to be strong. She couldn't let him in only to hurt her again.

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Hide behind your smile, all the world loves a clown  
[Just make 'em smile the whole world loves a clown]  
Wish you well, I cannot stay  
You deserve an award for the role that you played [role that you played]  
No more masquerade, you're one lonely star  
[One lonely star and you don't know who you are]

"Then I would have been there for you," he finished for her.

Grace let out a heavy sigh. "Yes you would have, but…God Eli you don't get it! You don't see it!"

Eli was confused now. If she wasn't talking about the play, then what? Eli _knew_, but he wanted her to say it. He wanted to hear it from her. He wanted to hear those words come from her sweet lips. He wanted to hear he say it so he could tell her he felt the same.

"I don't get what Grace?" he questioned trying to sound confused.

"I…I…I can't do this," she said as she started to run away from him.

I've always been in love with you [always with you]  
I guess you've always known it's true [you know it's true]  
You took my love for granted, why oh why  
The show is over, say good-bye

Say good-bye [bye bye], say good-bye

Before she could run away from him he grabbed her arms and pulled her to him.

"You can't do what?" he said in a whisper standing just inches away from her and looked into her rich brown eyes.

She couldn't lie to him know. God knows he didn't deserve the truth, but she couldn't help it. In his eyes she saw everything she wanted. And she wanted him.

"Let myself love you," she replied barely audible.

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All the world is a stage [world is a stage]  
And everyone has their part [has their part]  
But how was I to know which way the story'd go  
How was I to know you'd break  
[You'd break, you'd break, you'd break]  
You'd break my heart

"What?' he asked again. His head was spinning from the statement he thought she had made. He wanted to make sure he had heard correctly.

"I said I can't let myself love you. You happy now?" she said pulling away from him.

"Why not, Grace? Because you're scared? Why? Tell me!" he demanded as he stepped closer to her, forcing her to lean against the tree to support her.

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I've always been in love with you  
[I've always been in love with you]  
Guess you've always known  
You took my love for granted, why oh why  
The show is over, say good-bye 

__

I've always been in love with you [always with you]  
I guess you've always known it's true [you know it's true]  
You took my love for granted, why oh why  
The show is over, say good-bye  
Say good-bye [bye bye], say good-bye

Say good-bye [bye bye], say good-bye 

A large crack of thunder roared followed by lightning. The rain fell even harder, and the air became colder causing Grace to shiver.

"Tell me why you can't love me. Tell me why you won't let yourself do what feels right." he said as he stepped dangerously close to her. "Tell me why you won't follow your heart. Tell me why you are being a coward when that's not who you are."

"What makes you think you know me?" she asked.

Eli was now right in front of her. He wanted to kiss her right then, but he had to wait. He had to wait until she was ready.

"Because I do, Grace," he replies giving her his sexy smile. "I know your every thought, every fear, every wish, and every desire," he continued as her let his fingers trail down her arm. Grace felt the electricity shoot through her body. She couldn't take much more of this.

"I know you bite your bottom lip when you get nervous. I know you ramble on and on when you lie. I know you avoid someone when you are hiding something form them. I know that red is your favorite color," he said. Then he leaned over and whispered into her ear, "And I know you dream of me at night. I know you love me, and are too scared and stubborn to give us a chance. Now tell me I don't know you," he said as he slightly backed up from her.

Grace was frozen. He was right. Everything he had said was true. She did bite her lip when she was nervous, and that she did ramble, and that red was her favorite color, and that she did dream of him at night and that she did love him.

"I can't let myself love you because I won't let you hurt me again. I have loved you for as long as I can remember, but it only caused me pain. You're right I do dream of you at night. I do love you, but I refuse to let me hurt you again. You lied to me. You broke your promise to me, but most of all you broke my heart," Grace admitted to him finally.

"I promise I will never hurt you again as long as I live. I will never let anyone, especially myself, or anything hurt you again," he declared.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Eli"

"Grace I meant what I said. I am nothing," Eli said as he placed her face in both of his hands and looked deep into her eyes. "I am nothing without you. I love you Grace Manning."

"I love you too Eli Sammler," Grace finally said.

Eli lowered his lips to hers and lightly brushed his lips against hers. He traced his tongue over her lips to get her to part them. Grace moaned slightly and opened her mouth. Their tongues met and explored each others mouth. Both of them pulled away breathless.

"Come with me," Grace demanded as she slipped her hand into his. Eli obeyed.

"What are we doing here?" he asked as they reached their destination. 

"you'll see," she said secretively as she shut the door behind her, and locked it. She then walked towards Eli who was sitting on his bed. She straddled him and kissed him passionately.

"Make love to me Eli," Grace demanded.

"Are you sure?"

Grace only nodded as she bit her lip. Eli brought her in for another kiss as his hands slowly slid up the back of her shirt, his fingertips grazing her smooth, creamy skin. Grace pulled away and began to remove her shirt, but Eli stopped her.

"Let me," he said softly as he pulled her shirt over her head exposing her chest in only a white laced bra. He began placing soft kisses along her neck and collar bone on began to work his way down kissing the top of her breasts. Suddenly Eli flipped her over so she was laying flat on her back and he was on top of her. Grace removed his shirt exposing his chiseled stomach. Grace decided to be bold and this time she flipped him. She placed kisses all over his chest, then worked her way down to his stomach until she reached the waist band of his jeans. She unbuttoned his jeans and started to undo his zipper when there was a sudden knock at the door. Grace pulled away scared.

"Shh," Eli told her.

"What?"

"Eli it's Jessie. Let me in,"

"Ok hang on just a second," he said as both of them quickly got dressed.

"Eli have you seen Gra-" she asked as her brother opened the door, as she saw an upset Grace sitting on Eli's bed.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to interrupt. Grace everyone is looking for you. Are you ok?" Jessie asked her surprisingly concerned.

Grace smiled. "I'm fine. I just had a really long and stressful day. Everything was just getting to be too much, and I needed someone to talk to so Eli agreed to listen to me bitch," she said letting out a small laugh.

Jessie smiled too. "I know what you mean. Well, everyone is waiting on you for pictures."

"ok, I'll be there in a minute. Thanks Jess."

"No problem," she said and walked out of Eli's room shutting the door behind her.

"Oh my God that was close," she sighed as she sighed a breath of relief.

"I know. But you have to get back to your party," he said encircling his arms around her waist.

"I'd rather be here with you," Grace pouted.

"I know, but you can't." He kissed her passionately before opening the door.

"I'll see you later," she said implying that she would sneak down to see him later

"I love you."

"I love you too, Eli," Grace said as she gave him a quick kiss on the lips and returned to her party. 

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Say good-bye…  


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THE END

Ok how bad did it suck? Please keep in mind I wrote this at 3:00 in the morning, lol. Oh, and the reason I chose this song was to sort of personify the way Grace was feeling at the time. Thanx, for reading J 

~Tamara~

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~Song Credits~ "Take a Bow" by Madonna

  


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